Scissortail Park Plans Secured

Purchase paves the way for lower park development

By Louise Scrivens

Plans for the second phase of Scissortail Parkare underway after the city council secured the purchase of more land.

The second phase of the project is the 30-acre lower section of the park, which extends to SW 15th on the north shore of the Oklahoma River. The area is still in design, but city council officials confirmed they have now bought all of the land in question so they can start the demolition and cleanup process.

It will be a lengthy process, due to the obvious scale of the project and the way it’s funded. “Because the MAPS program is pay-as-you-go with no debt, design and construction of the MAPS 3 projects is phased over approximately a decade,” according to a city spokeswoman Kristy Yager.

Construction work is currently focused on the north section of the park – set to be completed on May 9, 2019 – with dirt work, lake excavation, drainage, plumbing and electrical infrastructure being the priorities.

The 40-acre north section of the park extends from the new Oklahoma City Boulevard south to Interstate 40, where the Skydance Bridge will connect it to the lower section. The lake in the north section of the park is set to cover 3.5 acres, with a boathouse for paddleboat rentals and a pedestrian bridge. A covered stage with space for 15,000 visitors is also planned alongside family picnic spaces, covered event pavilions, a playground and fountain.

Design work on the lower section is ongoing – construction is currently scheduled to start in 2020 and finish the following year.